Good morning, friends. It’s a relatively busy hump day, with a little bit of everything to keep things interesting, suggesting more people are back at their desks following the long weekend.

THE BIG STORY here at home is Adnoc Gas awarding USD 5 bn in contracts for the first phase of its Rich Gas Development (RGD) project, following the firm taking a final investment decision on the project. Meanwhile, Dutco and Sweid & Sweid launched a privately-owned logistics park in Northern Dubai, and Emirates NBD tapped banks for a new kangaroo bond issuance.

OTHER TIDBITS TO KEEP YOU BUSY THIS MORNING-

#1- For the first time since 2013’s iOS 7 release, Apple is completely redesigning iOS. The tech giant’s eagerly-awaited WWDC 2025 this week saw Apple unveil its latest software overhaul: iOS 26 — a jump from iOS 18, marking a shift in Apple’s nomenclature as reported by EnterpriseAM last month. “Delightful and elegant,” as described in Apple’s latest press release, the iPhone maker’s “Liquid Glass” software design is set to make its way to the entire ecosystem, including iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, watchOS 26, and tvOS 26.

More than just shiny new buttons — but not that much: Aesthetically speaking, the upcoming iOS 26 — slated for public release in September, and beta release in July — promises a silky smooth UI experience with translucent app icons that seamlessly adapt to light, full-screen Safari browsing, and completely redesigned minimal camera and photos apps. One feature in particular has been met with mass approval — call screening. The WWDC 25 keynote also unveiled an entirely new multitasking system for iPad OS, bringing the handheld flagship one step closer to Apple’s own MacOS.

#2- Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was awarded an honorary doctorate from Manchester University on Monday, to recognize his nine-year tenure at Etihad Stadium. “The award is in honour not only of his sporting success but for his inspirational work away from football, including through his family foundation, the Guardiola Sala Foundation,” Manchester University said in a statement. Guardiola delivered a politically charged acceptance speech, touching on the ongoing war in Gaza (watch, runtime: 1:55).

WEATHER– The summer heat is starting to creep in: The temperature in Dubai is set to see a high of 43°C today, and an overnight low of 32°C. Abu Dhabi will see a high of 37°C and an overnight low of 30°C.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1- Abu Dhabi Global Markets expects to see continued growth in the number of registered firms this year, ADGM Chief Market Development Officer Arvind Ramamurthy tells Reuters. Ramamurthy pointed to a “pipeline of new firms [that looks] strong for the rest of the year,” without providing additional details.

REMEMBER- Firms operating out of ADGM recorded a 33% y-o-y increase in assets under management (AUM) in 1Q 2025, while the number of new licenses issued to operate in ADGM rose 67% y-o-y during the quarter, according to data released last week. The total number of operational entities within the financial center rose 43% to 2.8k by the end of 1Q, and the number of financial service providers located in the financial center jumped 26% to 367 in the same period.

#2- The Dubai Financial Market (DFM) introduced new regulations for margin trading, allowing investors to trade for clients with borrowed funds from authorized financial institutions, according to a bulletin (pdf). This practice enables traders to maximize their potential profits by leveraging positions beyond their actual capital. The new regulations are designed to “broaden investor access to leverage” and increase market liquidity, the bulletin says.

#3- Dubai-based agro-food firm InvictusInvestment Company is looking to increase its revenue fivefold to AED 25 bn (USD 6.8 bn) by 2028 through a combination of organic expansion and strategic acquisitions, with a core focus on Africa, according to a press release (pdf).

Its Africa expansion is already underway, having recently acquired a majority stake in Angolan fertilizer firm Angata last month, as well as fully taking over Mozambique’s largest milling company, Merec Industries, in February.

And up next? A third acquisition in the basic foods segment is expected later this year for the firm, which is a unit of Abu Dhabi-based food manufacturer Ghitha, the statement read. Majority stakes in ventures valued between USD 200 and 300 mn in African midstream and downstream assets is its investment focus. The expansion strategy targets North Africa and major coastal markets due to their trade route access, robust infrastructure, and rising demand for wheat-based products.

#4– Prypco Mint rolls out its second tokenized property: Prypco Mint will list its second tokenized property today, following its sold-out debut that raised AED 2.4 mn in under 24 hours, according to a press release.

On the table: The new listing features a one-bedroom apartment in Mohammed Bin Rashid City’s Kensington Waters development, priced at AED 1.5 mn — a premium compared to its AED 1.9 mn market value. Investors can participate with minimum investments of AED 2k through the fractional ownership platform.

Background: Prypco Mint is a JV between Dubai Land Department (DLD) and Prypco which is also VARA-licensed. Last month it launched Mena’s first fully tokenized property transaction through its debut offering which listed a Business Bay apartment for AED 2.4 mn. The transaction attracted 224 investors from more than 40 nationalities, with an average investment of AED 10.7k. Earlier this year, DLD launched the pilot phase for real estate tokenization transactions.

DATA POINT-

The UAE is home to five of the Arab world’s seven unicorn startups, according to CB Insights data cited by Asharq Business. The cohort includes fintech firm Tabby (with a market capitalization of USD 3.3 bn) — which raised USD 160 mn in February, more than doubling its valuation — Dubai-based private aviation firm Vista Global (USD 2.5 bn), cloud kitchen Kitopi (USD 1.6 bn), tech services startup Andalusia Labs (USD 1 bn), and marketplace Dubizzle (USD 1 bn).

REMEMBER- Startup IPO momentum is building: Tabby has reportedly brought on HSBC Holdings, JPMorgan Chase, and Morgan Stanley as advisors for a potential IPO — first hinted at in September — targeting a 2025-2026 window. Kitopi is eyeing a listing within the next two to three years, while Dubizzle is said to be sounding out investors as it weighs its own IPO plans.

HAPPENING TODAY-

The China Home Life Expo is starting today and will run until Friday at the Dubai World Trade Center. The event will showcase a wide range of Chinese consumer products including building materials, textiles, consumer materials, and will connect manufacturers and buyers from across the region.

The International Appliances and Electronics Show will also be kicking off on today and will be running until Friday at the Dubai World Trade Center. The exhibition showcases the latest advancements in home appliances and consumer electronics, featuring product launches, technology showcases, and networking chances.

Economy Minister Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri is leading a UAE delegation of over 50 representatives from government institutions, businesses, and startups to tech conference and exhibition Viva Technology in Paris that is starting today and will continue through to Saturday. The event will bring together 3.2k investors and 13.5k startups.

REMEMBER- The UAE is heavily involved in France’s tech sector. Abu Dhabi’s MGX and Nvidia have partnered with French AI leaders to build Europe’s largest AI data center campus near Paris, after the Emirates signaled plans to invest USD 30-50 bn in French AI and data infrastructure.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

The world’s business papers are breathing a sigh of relief following news that the US and China preliminary agreed to get their Geneva trade war truce back on track, following 20 hours of tense negotiations over the last two days in London. Although few details of the agreement have emerged, it is understood that the two world’s two largest economies agreed to solve their differences over Chinese rare earth export restrictions and US tech export controls. The agreement now awaits the sign-off from Xi and Trump. (Bloomberg | Financial Times | Wall Street Journal)

Also headlining many of the world’s digital front pages is wall-to-wall coverage of anti-immigration raid protests in the US, which have now spread to two dozen cities across the country. Trump responded to the spreading protests by threatening to respond with “equal or greater force” to protestors in LA, who he described as “animals.”

California Governor Gavin Newsom slammed Trump for taking a “wrecking ball” to the norms of American democracy in a televised address criticising the deployment of military forces to LA as both illegal and unnecessary. “California may be first, but it clearly will not end here. Other states are next. Democracy is next. Democracy is under assault. Before our eyes, this moment we have feared has arrived,” Newsom said.

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MARKET WATCH-

Opec’s oil output rose by a modest 150k bbl / d in May to reach 26.75 mn bbl / d, but the increase was far below quota levels, according to a Reuters survey. Saudi Arabia led with a 130k bbl / d hike but remained 100k bbl / d below its target, while Iraq and the UAE underproduced to compensate for earlier overproduction. The UAE’s shortfall reflected its relatively low cut obligations, though the International Energy Agency reported higher production than official figures, Reuters added.

Despite the upward revision in quotas, actual production increases have yet to materialize, Bloomberg reported citing a note by Morgan Stanley. The bank pointed to the roughly 1 mn bbl / d increase in quotas between March and June and said “an actual increase in production is hard to detect, noting that KSA in particular does not appear to have ramped up production significantly,” Bloomberg added, citing analyst Martijn Rats.

Morgan Stanley still expects core Opec+ supply to grow by around 420k bbl / d between June and September, with half the increase likely from Saudi Arabia. Non-Opec+ producers are also on track to add 1.1 mn bbl / d this year — outpacing demand growth estimated at 800k bbl / d and causing the bank to maintain its surplus outlook. The result will be a softer oil market outlook after the summer period, Bloomberg added, citing the bank’s analysts.

By the numbers: Brent is down more than 11% YTD, last trading at USD 66.29 / bbl, with the bank seeing prices averaging USD 57.50 in 2H. S&P Global Commodity Insights also lowered its Brent forecast to USD 63 from USD 72, while expecting oil prices to fall below the USD 50 / bbl this year.